Harold Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985), born in New York City, was an American film producer.Harold Hecht started his involvement with the New York stage at age 16. He appeared in numerous classical stage productions and later danced with the companies of the Metropolitan Opera and Martha Graham. Then in the 1930s he became a dance director on film productions.Harold Hecht is probably best remembered today for his association with the actor Burt Lancaster, whom he "discovered" on the New York stage and brought to Hollywood, and with whom he formed an independent film production company, breaking from the then-powerful studio system. Their companies were Norma Productions, the Hecht-Lancaster company and, later with the writer-producer James Hill, Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions.On his death, due to cancer, at his (Beverly Hills, California) home in 1985, six days prior to his 78th birthday, he was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.His children are Steven, Duffy, Alma Hecht with his first wife Gloria Buzzell and Harold, jr., Adam and Rebecca with Martine Milner. His eldest is an attorney, son Duffy is a producer/writer and Alma is a Landscape Designer. Harold Hecht, Jr. became a television producer. Adam Hecht mysteriously vanished on July 7, 1989 from Beverly Hills, California at age 24 and has never been found. The story of Adam Hecht's disappearance was aired on the American television series Unsolved Mysteries in 1990. His youngest is daughter Rebecca Hecht.
Aged 16, he became stage assistant to Richard Boleslawski at the American Laboratory Theatre. Subsequently worked as dancer with the Martha Graham Company, then signed as dance director for Busby Berkeley. Choreographed dance routines at RKO, Paramount, MGM and Universal. Worked on and off as a literary agent. In 1947, co-founded one of the first independent production companies with actor Burt Lancaster, Hecht-Lancaster productions. They were later joined by the producer James Hill and the company was renamed Hecht-Hill-Lancaster productions. It was dissolved in 1960 and Hecht continued on as a producer in his own right.
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Hecht was one of four people sent to the Soviet Union by President Eisenhower in 1959, as part of a cultural exchange program.
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At the time of his death, he was working on a sequel to 'The Crimson Pirate', entitled 'Jolly Roger'.
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Married English model-actress Martine Milner on November 2, 1962. She was age 26 he was age 55.
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Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 378-380. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Ulzana's Raid
1972
producer - uncredited
The Way West
1967
producer
Cat Ballou
1965
producer
Wild and Wonderful
1964
producer
Flight from Ashiya
1964
producer
Taras Bulba
1962
producer
Birdman of Alcatraz
1962
executive producer - uncredited
The Young Savages
1961
executive producer
The Unforgiven
1960
presents - as Hecht Hill and Lancaster
The Devil's Disciple
1959
producer
Separate Tables
1958
producer
Run Silent Run Deep
1958
producer
Sweet Smell of Success
1957
executive producer - uncredited
The Bachelor Party
1957
producer
Trapeze
1956
producer - uncredited
The Kentuckian
1955
producer
Marty
1955
producer
Vera Cruz
1954
co-producer - uncredited
Apache
1954
producer
His Majesty O'Keefe
1954
producer
The Crimson Pirate
1952
producer - uncredited
The First Time
1952
producer
Ten Tall Men
1951
producer
The Flame and the Arrow
1950
producer
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
1948
executive producer
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Birdman of Alcatraz
1962
presenter
The Unforgiven
1960
presents - as Hecht Hill and Lancaster
Separate Tables
1958
presenter - as Hecht
Sweet Smell of Success
1957
presenter - as Hecht
Trapeze
1956
presenter
Vera Cruz
1954
presenter
Bottoms Up
1934
dance director
Glamour
1934
dance supervisor - uncredited
Bed of Roses
1933
choreographer: Mardi Gras sequence - uncredited
She Done Him Wrong
1933
choreographer - uncredited
Horse Feathers
1932
dance director - uncredited
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Gypsy Night
1935
Short
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The 31st Annual Academy Awards
1959
TV Special
Himself - Accepting Supporting Actress Award for Wendy Hiller